Theories about Rey’s parentage have been swirling since director J.J. Abrams introduced the striving, force-sensitive character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and they’re still being made even after Kylo Ren claimed in Star Wars: The Last Jedi that her parents were just junk traders who sold her for drinking money. We like the idea that a potential Jedi master could come from any background, but some fans still theorize there may be more to learn about her lineage. Now one of those theories was so exciting to Kevin Smith that he contacted J.J. Abrams to suggest he use the idea in Star Wars: Episode IX. (And we’ll assume Abrams politely nodded and said, “That’s nice, Kevin.”)

“We [Smith and Volk-Weiss] were talking about Clone Wars coming back and I said to him, ‘I got a theory that that’s the way to start introducing Ahsoka slowly into the live-action movies by bringing her back prominently in the cartoon.’ Because now that they don’t have Princess Leia stories to tell, they need another strong female character in the universe and Ahsoka’s been there for years, much beloved, just isn’t in the movies. So I was like, ‘I think maybe they’re doing that so they can slowly bring her into the movies.’

And then Brian blows my f*ckin’ mind by going, ‘Maybe that’s who Keri Russell’s playing?’ and then I said, ‘What the f*ck, man?! I wanna see your version of Star Wars!’ Then I was like, ‘No, that can’t be it, I think Keri Russell probably plays Rey’s mom,’ and then he f*ckin’ drops the bomb and he goes, ‘What if it’s the same person?’

So, instantly, I wrote to JJ Abrams, ‘You must do this.’ Could you imagine? That would be f*ckin’ wild,” Smith joked. “I don’t think it is, but that was one of the greatest fan theories I’ve ever heard about. Wouldn’t that be hot? Not only is Ahsoka in these movies but she’s f*ckin’ Rey’s mom! And somewhere, Rian Johnson’s like, ‘What the f*ck?! I said no! I said they were trash!’ ” [transcribed by Comic Book]